


Alejandro's Sweatshirt

by teen_content_queen



Category: SKAM (Spain)
Genre: 5+1 Things, F/M, Fluff, Nora has Alejandro's sweatshirt and his heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-07
Updated: 2020-02-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:54:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22592845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teen_content_queen/pseuds/teen_content_queen
Summary: 5 times Nora tries to say "I love you" but can't, and the 1 time she does.
Relationships: Alejandro Beltrán de Miguel/Nora Grace
Kudos: 66





	Alejandro's Sweatshirt

1 

It was the first day of spring, the window opened, letting in the fresh scent of new growth. Music played through her speakers, a light and breezy love song that Nora recognized from the playlist Alejandro had made her. She picked up a discarded purse that had somehow found its way under her desk and tried to push onto the shelf at the top of her closet along with the rest of her bags but something unseen was blocking her efforts. Nora reached up, not quite tall enough to reach. She hopped, but still nothing. 

“Need some help?” Someone asked behind her. 

She turned to find Alejandro standing in the doorway, grinning at her, two glasses of water in his hands. She huffed at him.

“Yes please.”

He walked over, handing her one of the glasses. She smiled at him, watching as he reached without effort to the shelf and pulled out a wad of black fabric. 

“Thank you.”

Gently, he took the purse from Nora’s hand and placed it in the vacant spot on the shelf as Nora unwrapped the black material. Nora recognized it almost immediately, the grey star unmistakable. Alejandro noticed it too and started chuckling. 

“Hey, I’ve been looking for that!”

Nora looked back at Alejandro, cheeks pink. She’d forgotten she had shoved away in the top of her closet when they’d broken up. But here it was, back in her life just like Alejandro. 

He fingered the material, lifting it from Nora’s hands to examine the sweatshirt. 

“You borrowed this at Christmas…”

“I remember.”

He was laughing again. Nora wanted to feel embarrassed but he looked so adorable laughing that she couldn't.

“That’s really cute.” He finally said, looking at her, “Even then, you liked me.”

Nora rolled her eyes, biting her lip to hide her smile.

“Did not.” Nora said, leaning in to kiss him. She knew that was a lie. 

“No?” Alejandro said, pouting and pulling away from her. 

“Okay, maybe I liked you a little.” She said.  _ And now I love you.  _

She reached up, brushing a few stray brown curls from his face, smiling at him. She stood up tall, almost too short to kiss him. She felt him drop the sweatshirt at his feet, reaching around to lift her up, making her smile into the kiss. 

  
  


2

Nora walked out of school, hands full with her textbooks and Alejandro’s black sweatshirt. She’d made a point of bringing it in today, freshly washed so that she could finally return the stolen goods to her boyfriend. She hadn’t meant to keep it for so long, she’d just kept forgetting it when they would hang out. So she brought it to school this morning, and promised herself she’d return it at the end of the day. 

She saw him now, laughing with Hugo over whatever new attempt Danny was making to impress Viri. He looked so handsome today, wearing a black turtleneck and dark jeans. He must have felt her staring because he looked up and caught her eye. He smiled wide, and Nora felt her own smile grow at the sight, butterflies buzzing in her stomach. She skipped over to them, redistributing the items in her hands to free up one arm which she quickly wrapped around his waist as she slid into the spot beside him. She felt him lean in and kiss the top of her head before he threw his arm around her shoulder, holding her close. 

“Adios.” Hugo said, walking off to follow Dylan, who looked blissful. Apparently it had gone well with Viri. Nora made a mental note to ask her about it later. They watched Hugo go before Alejandro turned his attention to Nora. 

“What’s all this?” He asked, noticing all of the things she was carrying in her arm. 

“Textbooks, mostly. Oh and this…”

She unwrapped her arm from around him and took the black sweatshirt out, offering it to him. He raised an eyebrow. 

“Are you breaking up with me?” He joked, but Nora could hear trepidation in his voice. 

“No.” She said quickly, hands coming to rest on his chest, looking up to meet his gaze, smiling assuringly. “I just thought you might want your sweatshirt back. I’ve had it for months.”

He smiled at her again, the fear on his face fading as his eyes softened. 

“That’s okay. I don’t mind that you have it.”

Nora looked down at the sweatshirt again.

“Okay.”

She slipped it back under her arm, getting a smile from Alejandro. He moved to stand in front of her, taking the textbooks she was struggling to hold out from under her arm and moving around to place each in her backpack for her.  _ One of the many reasons she loved him. _

“Was that so hard?” He said, teasing. Nora rolled her eyes but made a show of shimming off her backpack and slipping on the sweatshirt. Alejandro watched her. 

“Looks good on you.”

Nora smirked and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him, arms now free wrapping around his shoulders. 

3

Nora stormed into her room, slamming the door shut as she went. There was no one home, so the dramatics were only for her benefit and she let the slam echoing through the house fuel her anger. She heard her phone ringing but she didn’t care. She tossed her purse into her desk chair and flopped onto her bed, screaming into her pillow. 

Nothing had gone right today. She’d overslept, which meant she couldn’t make herself breakfast or coffee, and then she’d been hungry and ornery and had been too annoyed by Cris and Eva’s usual shenanigans which made her mad at herself, and then she’d lashed out at Alejandro because he wanted to hang out after school even though she’d already told him she had to study. She hadn’t meant to yell at him when it really wasn’t his fault that she was in a bad mood, but she had and now she was too embarrassed to apologize.

She heard her phone ping a few times. It was probably the girls talking in the group chat about something. She didn’t want to deal with it now. Instead, she pushed herself up from her bed and padded into the kitchen, grabbing the black sweatshirt with the grey star from the top of her desk and throwing it on. 

She set the kettle on the stove, hoping some chamomile tea might soothe the stress headache she felt coming on. She stood watching the kettle heat up, knowing it would take a few minutes but not wanting to have to distract herself with other things. She played with the strings of the hoodie, letting the faint smell of Alejandro calm her nerves better than the tea ever could. 

A faint knock on the door pulled Nora’s attention from the kettle. No one else was home so she wasn’t sure who would be knocking on their door on a Tuesday afternoon. 

Opening the door, she was surprised to find Alejandro standing there, staring down at her. 

“I know you need to study but…”

Nora didn’t let him finish, wrapping her arms around his waist and burying her head in his chest as she hugged him tight. She felt his hands wrap around her shoulders and squeeze as he rested his head on hers. 

“I’m sorry for snapping at you.” She said quietly, hiding her shame by burying her face further into him. He rubbed her back softly, drawing circles with his palms. 

“It’s okay. I know you’re stressed.” 

“But I shouldn’t have taken it out on you.”

He pulled away from her so that he could meet her gaze. 

“It happens. It’s okay Nora.”

_ I love you  _ hung on her lips, but the faint whistle of the kettle broke her nerve. She turned, and Alejandro hesitated at the doorway. She looked back at him, hand outstretched. 

“Come on.”

“You need to study…”

“Later. Now I just want to spend time with you.”

Alejandro beamed, letting her pull him inside. 

4

Nora moved neatly stacked piles of laundry from her bed to drawers and her closet, moving around Alejandro, who was spread out across her floor, an English textbook in front of him. He grabbed at her ankle as she walked by, causing her to nearly drop the stack of shirts she was carrying. 

“Ale!” She shrieked, moving quickly out of his grasp. He laughed and turned over, laying on his back to look up at her. She put the shirts away and stepped over him, one foot on either side of his hips before dropping down to her knees, sitting on him. She felt his stomach contract under her as he laughed, his fingers soft as they rested on her sides, gently holding her in place. 

“You should be studying.” 

“I’m just taking a small study break. You said those are important.”

Nora shook her head, adoringly exasperated by her boyfriend. 

“That’s a nice sweatshirt.” Alejandro commented.

Nora looked down at the black sweatshirt with the grey star. She’d been wearing it all day and had been waiting for Alejandro to mention it. He always did. 

“Thanks. It was a gift.”

“Oh wow, such a nice gift.”

“It really is. I can’t believe Eva has such great taste.” Nora teased.

“Oh, Eva gave it to you?” Alejandro said, playing along. 

“She’s a good friend.”

“The very best.” Alejandro said with a smirk. 

She watched him for a moment, his big brown eyes fixed on her. Finally, she rolled off of him, intent on letting him get back to studying. He grabbed at her, holding her in place. She sighed, but gave in anyway, moving to sit next to him, legs crossed. He sat up too, close enough now that Nora could smell his cologne. He smiled at her, a cheeky grin that meant he was plotting. Before Nora could stop him, Alejandro had pulled up her hood and pulled the drawstrings tight, leaving only a small hole for Nora to see through.

“Hey!”

Alejandro flipped back to his textbook. She grabbed at the strings of the hoodie, trying to unknot them.   
“I need to study Nora. Stop interrupting.” 

“You’re an idiot.” Nora huffed, still stuck.  _ I’m in love with an idiot.  _ She could hear rustling and feel Alejandro get closer to her. 

“But I’m your idiot.” he said softly, untying the knot and prying open the hoodie so Nora could emerge again. She looked at him, smiling at her. He leaned forward and kissed her cheek before laying down again, picking up his pencil. She laid down next to him, head propped on her hands as she watched him read over his textbook. 

5

Nora opened her eyes, heavy with sleep, feeling marginally better than she had this morning when she’d woken up with a runny nose and a fever. She’d texted her friends and Alejandro that she wouldn’t be at school, her mom calling the school when Nora had walked into the kitchen pale and achy. She’d given her a few pieces of toast and sent her back to bed.

She shifted, and felt an unfamiliar weight beside her. She turned to find Alejandro laying next to her, eyes closed and face slack with sleep, looking more angelic than ever. She turned over to face him, trying not to get any closer. She watched his eyelashes flutter as he slowly woke up. She didn’t even try to hide her gaze, watching his sleepy face pull up into a smile as he caught her watching him.

“Good morning.” She whispered.

“I think you mean good afternoon.” He said, voice low with sleep. 

Nora turned to check her phone for the time, ignoring the myriad of unread notifications. He was right, it was nearly dinner time, the morning long over. She turned back to him. 

“Did you skip school?” She asked. Alejandro shook his head, curls bouncing.

“I didn’t think you’d like that very much.” He said. She smiled. 

“You’re right.”

“Eva and Amira collected your homework. It’s on your desk. Cris told me to tell you that she loves you and to get better before the party this weekend.”

That got a laugh from Nora. 

“Cris needs to worry about her priorities.” 

“She knew you’d say that and wanted to remind you that you are the person who usually does that for her.”

Nora laughed again, covering her mouth to cough. 

“You’re getting my sweatshirt all germy.” Alejandro said laughing.

It was true. She was wearing his black sweatshirt again. She’d put it on in an effort to get comfortable, his scent lulling her to sleep in her sick haze.

“I’m sorry.” 

“It’s okay. You’re sick. I’ll forgive you.”

Nora gave him a smile and Alejandro shifted in bed, moving toward her. She scooted away from him quickly.

“I’m sick. Don’t get closer.”

“I’ll risk it.” He said, quickly closing the distance between them and peppering her cheeks with kisses. She let him get in more than enough before she pushed him off, not wanting to be too selfish. She really didn’t want him to catch whatever she had. 

“Ale, I don’t want you to be sick too. Then you’ll have to miss the party this weekend.”

“But then you can stay home and nurse me back to health.”

“Oh you think I’ll stay home with you?” Nora teased. Alejandro smirked.

“Of course. It would be your fault I’m sick.”

“No. I told you not to kiss me. You knew the risk.”

Alejandro looked at her. 

“Worth it.” He said, quickly planting a quick kiss on her forehead before pushing himself up and out of bed. She looked up at him pouting.

“Where are you going? Are you leaving?” She asked. 

“No. I was just going to get you water and some crackers. You need to eat.”

Nora smiled. 

“Okay.” She meant  _ I love you. _

“Okay.” He said, slipping out of her bedroom. She had a feeling he meant  _ I love you too. _

  
  


+1 

Nora sat in the middle of Alejandro’s bed, surrounded by stacks of his clothes. She adjusted her ponytail, the room warm as the late summer sun flooded in through the window, watching Alejandro debate two nearly identical black turtleneck sweaters. He finally picked the one in his right hand, rehanging the other in his closet. He carefully folded the chosen sweater, putting it into one of the stacks in front of Nora. 

She ran a hand over the material, soft and warm. It would be good for a cold fall day, when Alejandro was crossing campus to go to class. She let the image play out, one of many she’d had today about Alejandro’s new life as a university student. 

“Don’t be sad Nora.” Alejandro said. 

She looked up and found him watching her. She smiled up at him.

“I’m not.” She lied. 

Nora knew this was coming. Alejandro couldn’t stick around high school forever. With her help, he’d managed to pass English this year and that meant that he was leaving for college. It’s what he was supposed to do. 

Alejandro leaned close to meet her gaze. She looked away, wiping a stray tear that had managed to escape despite her efforts. 

“Oh Nora.” He whispered, moving a pile of jeans to sit down on the bed beside her. He pulled her close, letting her head rest in the crook of his neck. She sighed, a shaky breath escaping her lips. He ran a hand along her back, playing with the baby hairs that had fallen out of her ponytail at the nape of her neck. 

“I’m gonna miss you.” Nora said, feeling Alejandro’s chest rise and fall with his steady breathing. 

“I’ll miss you too.” 

Nora squirmed, trying to crawl as close to Alejandro as she could, trying to memorize this feeling for next weekend, when he’d be on his way to school and she was still here. 

“I’m coming back to visit at the end of the month.”

“I know.”

“And you’re coming to see me for Halloween.”

“I know.”

She held him tighter. So many weekends already marked on her calendar, the dates showing how they were going to ping pong back and forth from Alejandro’s new school to Madrid in an effort to be together while also giving Alejandro the opportunity to grow, to meet new people and to make a life for himself that didn’t revolve around Nora. 

In her moments of rational thought, she knew this was what was best for him and for them. If they were going to make it work, she had to let him have a life outside of just the two of them. She’d learned as much after their first failed attempt at this. But that was months ago. They’d grow so much as people and as a couple since then and Nora knew that anything they faced, they could face together. 

She finally pulled away, feeling brave enough to look him in the eyes. She smiled, wiping a stray tear from her cheek and lifting both hands to cradle his face. 

“I love you.” She said. It was the first time she was saying it, and she watched his expression shift from shock to adoration, his cheeks getting warm under her hands.

“I love you too.” He said back, leaning in to kiss her. She held his face to hers, kissing him as if she was trying to communicate how much she loved him. He seemed to understand. Finally, he pulled back and stood up. 

“I have something for you.” He said, a cheeky smile on his face. 

“Me?”

He nodded and moved to his closet, pulling something folded and black from the top shelf. It was his sweatshirt. Nora was surprised.

“Wait, that was at my house.”

Alejandro nodded and handed it over. 

“You were complaining that it didn’t smell like me anymore, so I took it home last weekend and I’ve been wearing it every day.”

Sure enough, when Nora pulled the hoodie on, Alejandro’s distinct musk, a mix of cologne and shampoo, hit her like a wave. She smiled wide. 

“Now you don’t have to miss me so much.” He said smiling. Nora extended her hands, making grabby motions at him. Alejandro obliged, letting her pull him back to the bed with her. 

“I’ll still miss you...but this will definitely help.” She said, kissing him.

“I love you Nora Grace.”

“I love you too Alejandro Beltrán.”


End file.
